Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission adopts rules a green group calls "a model" for the U.S. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on Tuesday adopted rules to protect wildlife from drilling operations — one of the most contentious pieces of the commission's nine-month overhaul of state regulations. The rules focus on protecting species such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, golden lesser prairie chickens, bald and golden eagles, and several sage-grouse species. One rule protects the state's Gold Medal trout streams. With approval of the rules, on an 8-1 vote, the commission has provisionally adopted the bulk of the new and revised rules to manage the burgeoning industry. In the past three months, about 100 new rules covering a broad range of issues have been passed. They include drinking-water protection, odor and dust control, and disclosure of toxic-chemical drilling....

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